Robert Revisited
by Chiefie
Summary: Now complete with a message from Chief. This sequel of "My Name Is Robert" begins when Robert enters the fifth grade, where he gets caught up in a bizarre love triangle.
1. The New Life

Robert Revisited  
  
By Chief  
  
1  
  
Note: All Hey Arnold stuff is not owned by me, but by Nickelodeon and Viacom. Respect.  
  
Hi. In case you hadn't heard already, my name is Robert. I'm a simple guy who just kind of seems to enjoy the simple things in life. Nothing more complicated than simplicity, huh?  
  
I'm assuming that nobody seems to have any clue of what I'm talking about. I guess I must have changed some over the past summer. Yes, that's right, my classmates and me finally graduated into the fifth grade. After all the adventures that went down, it's kind of amazing that all of us even made it this far alive, especially in a big city like Hillwood.  
  
Although I was supposed to undergo a change or something like that when I moved upward, but nothing seemed to change on the outside. I was still the blonde haired kid that sat in the back with his square glasses and red pants. I guess what really occurred in my life happened on the inside.  
  
Several months ago I happened to get quite a lesson in my life. I had the first real love in my entire life, and within a couple of weeks, everything vanished. Her name was Rhonda, but it really didn't matter anymore. Although part of me still wanted to at least be her friend, I guess part of me was just scared to talk to her, which I did very little of over the summer. Every once in a while, she would walk by and say hello, and I would greet her back. But that was it.  
  
I guess I just wanted things to be perfect, but lost track of how they never really work out they way you want them to. I tried to deny it for the longest time, but Rhonda's rejection to me hurt. Little by little, it ate away at me, piece by piece. I had to find something that would cheer me up, just help me in some way through these difficult times. So I decided that maybe the best way to heal the pain was through my friends. I talked to Helga, my best friend, quite a bit that summer.  
  
"Crimeny, Robbie! Are you STILL upset about what Rhonda did to you? That was a long time ago. You're getting almost as pathetic as Arnold and that Lila."  
  
Okay, so Helga really wasn't too much help. Helga had encountered a most bizarre summer of her own. Helga loved Arnold deeply, and was even able to travel to the same dance with him that I went with Rhonda to. After that, though, she really didn't seem to follow through with her plans. She seemed to have plenty of chances, but seemed just to end up spiteful to him. She might have gained some ground when she vacationed on the same beach as Arnold, but nothing ever seemed to happen, and Arnold cam back to Hillwood, to society, and to Lila, the "love of his life".  
  
It seemed that Helga had enough problems of her own to handle, and wasn't going to be able to take care of me. So, later in the summer, I decided I needed a hobby. After having some part in P.S. 118's school plays in the past, I began to take a strong interest in theatre. Theatre seemed to be the perfect fit for me, something that you could freely express yourself, without using too much physical ability. I began to study a good bit more acting over the summer, and made the decision to try out for some lead parts in the coming year. No matter what, this school year gave me unique chance: I could start out with a clean slate, and live my life the way I wanted to live it.  
  
Morning arrived at last. The weather outside actually suited the occasion of returning to school for most kids: cold and stormy. I quickly slipped on me green t-shirt and maroon pants and headed downstairs.  
  
As usual, my parents were packing up and about ready to head for work by the time I got down. My mom and dad worked at Hillwood Medical Center, an enormous hospital that seemed to inhale the lives of adults everywhere.  
  
"Goodbye, son. Hope you enjoy your first day," my dad quickly said as he headed out the door, quickly followed by my mother. I probably wouldn't see them again until a few hours before I go to sleep.  
  
I could count on one thing from my parents, and that was there was always cereal for breakfast. I reached in my pantry for my favorite cereal, Mr. Nutty Crunch. I quickly ate, as I seemed to every school day of my life, to be picked up by the bus on time.  
  
After that quick bite, I slipped on my raincoat and stepped out into the inclement weather. Thankfully the bus was not late that day, and I hopped on quickly.  
  
All of my friends were, already on the bus, including Sid. He had ridden with his mother last year, but was riding with us now for some reason or another. He said it was "schedule conflicts", or something of the sort.  
  
"Hey, Robbie," Helga said as I sat down in the back, by her, Phoebe, and Sid.  
  
"Hi guys. I can't believe school is starting already."  
  
"I know," replied Sid. "It just seems like Simmons was letting us out for the summer and now we're back in prison again."  
  
"Yeah, another year of bore, drag, and.Arnold." By the end of that sentence, most of Helga's attention was then focused on the football-headed boy sitting in front of me. About that time someone came onto the bus that would have been the reason for me daydreaming, at one time.  
  
Rhonda really didn't look all that different from last year. She still had the latest clothes, best style, and enough money to buy every house in the neighborhood. Yet for some reason, however, I know longer saw her as anything else. I know that she said we might have a chance with her someday, but for some reason, I no longer was fascinated with her. My heart felt empty, like all the life in it had been sucked away, leaving me nothing but the physical matter. It hurt to have a feeling like that, but there just didn't seem to be any resolution for it. She still was constantly on my mind; I guess I just didn't love her anymore.  
  
As always, we arrived to P.S. 118 shortly after picking Rhonda up. This time, we had a new classroom to head to. I slowly walked into room 207, expected to see the face of Mr. Pakenham, but saw a face even more familiar.  
  
"Mr. Simmons? You're still our teacher?" Arnold asked when he walked in by me.  
  
"Well, Arnold, after I realized how special this class was to me, I decided to become a fifth-grade teacher so I can educate you again!"  
  
"Oh. Okay," Arnold replied quietly, I guess still surprised we were stuck with Mr. Simmons, a.k.a. Mr. "Special" as our teacher once again.  
  
Everyone else entered the class shortly afterward, and then Mr. Simmons made his grand announcement.  
  
"Hello, class!" Simmons said in his typical, and somewhat irritating voice. We all kind of muttered our own little variations of hello before he started again.  
  
"Like I told Arnold, you are all so special to me, I couldn't bear to lose you as students. And that is why I wanted to be your teacher in this special year known as fifth grade!"  
  
As in any other first day, Mr. Simmons rattled off the repetitive list of rules and procedures for the year. I pretty much zoned it out, since, after all, I had heard about the dress code enough times to puke.  
  
Then perhaps one of the most unexpected things in the entire world happened in just one second. Suddenly, every memory of my incident with Rhonda was suddenly forgotten.  
  
"Oh, class, I must have forgot to tell you we have a special new student joining our class! Her name is Amy Black, and she is coming to P.S. 118 all the way from the country of New Zealand!"  
  
And she was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. 


	2. Introducing Amy

Note: Sorry for the long wait. It's been a rough week.  
  
2  
  
Amy. Wow.  
  
My mind shut down. Everything else in my mind seemed to be put on screen saver. Fifth grade, Rhonda, after school, everything evaporated from my soul.  
  
She was about average height for a fifth-grader, and was thin, but in a perfect way. She had this long brown hair that stretched on beyond her shoulder, and these brilliant green eyes that shined like emeralds. She had on a sky blue t-shirt, with a thin leather jacket over it, a brownish color that matched the color of her long skirt that shimmered like her hair. She looked perfect, as though they had been creating some sort of angels in New Zealand, wherever that was. I'd have to ask my dad sometime  
  
"Well, Amy, why don't you tell the class what makes you special," Mr. Simmons said as she stood before us in the class.  
  
She seemed awfully shy to speak at first, but words eventually came out of her mouth.  
  
"Um.hi. My name is Amy Black, and I am from the city of Auckland, New Zealand. This is my first year in America, and I hope that the country is as wonderful as I have heard it is."  
  
"Thank you, Amy. I'm sure you'll be a special addition to our classroom," Mr. Simmons told her when she headed to her desk. My eyes seemed to follow her until Mr. Simmons finally spoke again.  
  
"Now class, I have another very special announcement to make. Due to the great success of the Romeo and Juliet we pulled off last year, I have been asked to put together another theatre production to open this fall! This time, I decided to try a different kind of play, a special show known as Perils of the Planet. In this play, the young hero Carrot Ciro."  
  
"Carrots? Aren't those vegetables?" asked Harold Berman, the food-loving village idiot of the classroom.  
  
"Well, Harold," replied Mr. Simmons, "carrots are not only a good source of vitamins, they also provide the name for our hero. Carrot, you see, discovers that the beautiful princess Cira has been kidnapped from his kingdom, and is sent out to rescue her. Along the play, he meets several special comrades, including a mysterious warrior by the name of Shirk Fini. It is an extraordinary filled with action, truth, and romance."  
  
"Romance, yuck! I know one thing, I'm not going to be no vegetable man," the curiously intelligent Harold commented again.  
  
Mr. Simmons sighed and shook his head, but managed to continue. "Tryouts will be tomorrow after school, and I hope everyone will come and try out!" This sounded like an awesome show, so I was certain on trying out. Maybe Amy would, too.  
  
All this news about the play and about Amy had excited everyone, and there was only one thing to do at a time like this.  
  
"Emergency club meeting!"  
  
All of last year (and probably most of this one) I would sit with Helga and Phoebe during lunch, but Arnold decided to hold a special club meeting instead. After all, Amy's arrival had created an interest in many of the young men in my class.  
  
"I think I'm in love."  
  
"Stinky! That's the third time you've said that in the past two weeks! Plus, I'm going to beat you to her.  
  
"Well, Sid, I reckon she'd choose me, on account of I'm the handsome one."  
  
Sid and Stinky weren't the only ones with their eye on Amy. Even Lorenzo, the rich kid with a tighter schedule than Bill Gates, had gotten in on the act. The only two guys that didn't seem obsessed with her beautiful, brown, hair were Arnold, the Lila-lover, and Curly, who exclaimed that Rhonda was "the only girl for him". I actually got him to like Lila for a little while, but was now back to Rhonda again.  
  
"Now you guys, if you are just going to talk about Amy, there was no point of calling this meeting," said Arnold, quieting down the mob.  
  
"Yeah. You see, we're really here to talk about this play thing. I think if one of us guys should do it, we all should."  
  
"But I don't like romance!"  
  
"I don't like acting!"  
  
"I don't like carrots!" The last one was, of course, Harold, who had yet to comprehend with the fact that Mr. Simmons was talking about a person.  
  
"Look, why don't we just take a vote?" Arnold suggested. It seemed to be a good idea at the time, so we went ahead and did just that. Seven of us voted yes, and the other three (including Harold) voted no.  
  
"Okay, it's official. Let's run this play." The meeting closed with that.  
  
My real highlight of the day would have to come after lunch at recess. I was just sitting on the swing, minding my own business, when I had an opportunity to meet the acquaintance of Amy. She walked over to me, so I said hello.  
  
"Hello. What's your name?"  
  
"Um.Robert," I squeaked out. She was even more beautiful up close. Her green eyes were almost mesmerizing.  
  
"Well, hi Robert. I'm Amy, nice to meet you. Are you in my class?"  
  
"Mr. Simmons? Yeah."  
  
"That's cool. I'll see you around then," she said as she walked away.  
  
Okay so it really wasn't all that big of a deal, but it made me feel good anyway.  
  
After school, Helga and me went over to Slausen's, easily the coolest ice cream place in all of Hillwood, and were able to talk about the day in general.  
  
"I'm telling you, Helga. She actually came up and talked to ME on the first day of school. The first day!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, sounds great, Robbie. I'm just glad you're not babbling on about princess Rhonda Lloyd anymore."  
  
"Amy just so beautiful. I hope she's auditioning for the play."  
  
"You know I'll be there. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to work with Arnold again, and maybe even share another kiss." Helga's attitude towards her love for Arnold had changed over the summer, and she suddenly seemed more open about it. Maybe something happened between them she wasn't telling me.  
  
Either way, both of us had a whole year of surprises ahead of us, so we would just have to see what happens.  
  
I went home shortly after that, and stayed outside to watch the sunset, my favorite part of the day. A lot of people probably think I'm some kind of nature freak or something, but it just gives me a chance to unwind and relax from the events of the day.  
  
Maybe I was rushing into this ordeal with Amy (and possibly the play) a little too fast, but it seemed to feel right inside. It felt like this would be the perfect way to heal myself from the wounds that Rhonda created in my heart. If only I could somehow get Amy to try out for the play without sounding obvious.  
  
Nevertheless, it was official. I was going to try out for that play, and hopefully take Amy in with me. This was a new year, after all, with a new hobby, a new girl, and a whole new chance. 


	3. The Weirdness of the World

3  
  
"There she is, on the front of the bus. Man, she's beautiful. What I wouldn't give just to."  
  
"Crimeny, Robbie! Will you just shut up, already? I trying to be supportive of you here, but you've only known her two days! Plus, there's something about her that just makes me want to puke. She reminds me to much of Lila."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Helga. She's much better than Lila."  
  
"Just watch her, ok?"  
  
In case you weren't able to tell, it now was the third day of school, the day of the play auditions. I guess I had been kind of obsessive about Amy for the past couple of days. I knew Helga was right, that I didn't really know her, but I wanted to. I was sure that she was a nice, sweet, intelligent person that would care about my feelings, but I just couldn't get up the nerve to talk to her, except for a periodic "hello" in the hallway, in which she would only reply with another "hello".  
  
Some of the other guys obviously hadn't stopped their obsessions, either, as I saw Stinky Petersen walk onto the bus with one of the strangest presents ever thought of.  
  
"Good morning, miss Amy," I heard him say as he maneuvered over to Amy's seat. "I brought you a present on this fine day."  
  
"Really. How.nice," she replied. "What is it, if you don't mind me asking."  
  
"It's a pinecone."  
  
"A.blue pinecone?"  
  
"I painted it that color, on account of it matches your shirt."  
  
"Wow, thanks.Stinky. I.don't know what to say." Surprisingly, Stinky didn't try to sit by her, and headed back to sit with Arnold and Gerald. I began to start daydreaming about auditions that afternoon, but Helga interrupted my concentration.  
  
"Oh my God.what kind of buffoon does Stinky think he is?"  
  
"I'll give him credit for trying, but I think I could do so much better than that."  
  
"One can hope. Otherwise you don't deserve anyone, and would be better off alone in a box."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm not a complete loser."  
  
We arrived at school shortly after our conversation. I had a couple of problems talking to someone I hardly know, so I was hoping I would succeed when given the chance. I just hoped Amy was as nice as she seemed to be, otherwise I could be in some deep trouble.  
  
It was an exciting day in class today, for Mr. Simmons handed out some audition material for after school. I made it my utmost priority to read for that part of Carrot.  
  
Lunchtime came, and I still was reading over the audition material. Carrot was one of the most intriguing parts I'd ever read. I was sitting at a table, alone, reading over the material.  
  
"I really don't understand why I'm the one that has to do this. There are so many others out there. I'm not the strongest warrior, or the smartest scholar, or anything like that. I'm just a normal guy, trying to get by in this world. So out of everyone else on the planet, why me?"  
  
"Hey, that's pretty good."  
  
I looked up, and Amy was standing right before me, her emerald eyes enchanting me beyond the point of all understanding. It was almost like the time Rhonda snuck up on me when I was watching the sunset. Obviously, I always seem to have some sort of opportunity.  
  
"So I take it you're trying out for the show this afternoon," she said once I finally had come to my senses.  
  
"Yeah, I'm hoping to."  
  
"I want to try out myself, I'm just not sure if I'll turn out to be any good or not."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do fine."  
  
"Thanks, Robert. You're sweet. Oh, lunch is almost over. I'll see you later."  
  
I couldn't believe it. I actually said the right thing, and made her happy, as well. This might be the most successful relationship so far, or could go straight down the tubes. It all depended on this afternoon.  
  
The afternoon was a drag. Mr. Simmons can get awfully repetitive after a while, especially when he's talking about how "special" the ancient Mayan culture is. Anyway, time slowly passed, and the auditions came.  
  
We were all sitting in the school's theater, Chaplin Auditorium. Most of my class was there, along with the teachers from all of the grades. Mr. Simmons called us each up to the stage, and read what we had prepared. Judging on my performance, I was guessing I did pretty well, better than most others at the audition, and right when I was expecting him to tell me I would be the perfect Carrot, this is what he said.  
  
"Robert, that was wonderful. You would be a very special."  
  
This was it, the moment of truth. My fingers were crossed; I was biting my fingernails, and practically doing everything expected of a nervous person.  
  
".Shirk. Yes, Robert, you would be perfect for Shirk, the mysterious warrior who befriends Carrot amidst the destruction of his people."  
  
Okay, so I guess not everything turns out exactly the way it does in all of those sappy romance stories. Despite my failure, the other sappy love story continued. Once again, Arnold was Carrot, and Helga got to be the damsel in distress, who Carrot kisses in the end. I guess I should've expected it.  
  
Thankfully, Amy was in the play, and was cast as the stage manager. She actually turned out to be a terrible actress, but a pretty good worker. After all, nobody's perfect. This made Phoebe (the typical stage manager) quite upset, but I didn't mind it. Nevertheless, Amy still was cast, so I still had a significant chance. However, I was going to need some serious help. Even though I have often been told I was a "sweet guy", I wasn't exactly Mr. Romantic, and if I wanted to pull this off, I was going to need some encouragement. I did remember an incident from last year, which proved to be a great help. In order to do this, I would have to talk to Arnold.  
  
"Hey, Arnold," I said as I walked over to him.  
  
"Oh, hey Robert. Congratulations on your part."  
  
"Oh thanks, you, too. Hey, do you think you could do me a favor?"  
  
"Sure. What do you need?"  
  
"Well."  
  
It was later that evening. The sun was beginning to fall, and since I got home late, I would have to watch the sunset on the move. I glanced down at the address Arnold gave me, and walked up to a large blue house and knocked on the door. A tall man in a shirt and tie answered.  
  
"Hello, can I help you?"  
  
"Um.hi. Is Gerald home?"  
  
  
  
Note: Thanks to everyone who has voted for me, and if you haven't yet, send Robert some votes for the awards. It'll make him happy. 


	4. The Purr

4  
  
Yes, I had stooped to that level. I was receiving dating advice from Gerald Johanssen. I remember Arnold saying once that Gerald taught him some things to say back when he had a crush on Ms. Felter, our substitute teacher. Although they didn't really work then, Gerald knew more about this kind of thing than anyone else in the neighborhood, so he was the man.  
  
Mr. Johanssen went off to get Gerald, while I waited at the door. Gerald did hang out with my friends all the time, but this was the first time I ever actually had seen his house. I was forced to get detailed directions from Arnold just to learn how to get there.  
  
"Hey, Robert, how's it going?" Gerald asked as we spoke outside his door.  
  
"Oh it's going pretty well," I responded. "Just trying to make it through the first couple of weeks of fifth grade."  
  
"It's hard, man. Well, hey, my man Arnold called me about a half hour ago, and told me you needed some help getting some girl to like you."  
  
"Yeah," I responded kind of shyly.  
  
"Well, you've come to the right place, for I am the master of love. I got all the tools to get you to get some foxy ladies," Gerald said. "By, the way, who's the girl?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm not really comfortable telling yet."  
  
"Well, it's not Phoebe, is it?"  
  
No, no. Of course not," I responded quickly. Gerald obviously had some love problems of his own. "Well, come upstairs, and let's get started."  
  
Gerald's room was pretty generic for a kid his age. Had some of the traits of his early childhood days, while slowly progressing towards adolescence. All in all, he had a fairly nice house, at least as nice as mine.  
  
Gerald starting the "lesson" as soon as we entered his room. "Okay," he said." The first thing you gotta do when meeting a foxy lady is getting down the greeting. Now tell me the way you would greet this girl of yours."  
  
"Okay. Um.hi. How are you?"  
  
Gerald stopped me in the blink of an eye. "Oh, man, that was pathetic. If you are going to get this girl, you gotta be confident. You need to show some SPUNK!"  
  
Just about then what I'm guessing was his little sister.  
  
"Hey, Gerald, you want to play house with me and Wally?"  
  
"No, Timberley, can't you see I'm busy?"  
  
"Oh, I haven't seen him before. Is he a new friend of yours?" All of a sudden, she seemed to gaze up at me in some worshipful manner. "Ooh, he's got cool glasses. Can I wear them, Mister?"  
  
"Timberley, I just told you, we're busy. I'll play with you and Wally some other time." I heard her mumble something about how mean he was, but then stormed out of the room.  
  
Gerald finally then continued with his teachings. "Okay, now the next time you see this girl, I want to just walk up to her and say "hey, babe. What's up, sugar?" You got it?"  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"All right. I've seen you around, Robert, and I know doing this kinda stuff is going to be hard on you. You just got, man?"  
  
After a long pause (and a couple of sighs) I let out a simple "okay".  
  
Gerald didn't waste any time, and went on quickly to the next lesson. "Now that you've mastered that, it's time to move onto the next step for getting the girl of your dreams. You don't want to take too many risks at first, so next you gotta try something subtle, something cool. Something simple, like a compliment. Tell me; what's the thing you like most about this girl?"  
  
"I'm not sure. There's just so much."  
  
"Come on, man, there's has to be something that just makes you say, "Now that's one fair senorita". Just say something."  
  
I stopped for a second, and then finally spoke. "Okay, she has some of the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen. They're like to green emeralds, the crown jewel of any treasure."  
  
"If you really feel that way," he said. "Tell her how much you love those eyes, my brother. Just be confident, you going to end up a loser if you don't give it a shot. That's too big of a risk to put you in any trouble, either."  
  
Just then we were interrupted again, this time by Gerald's older brother, who was approximately three times my size. There really wasn't too much conversation going on during this time, so I will just keep it simple. He obviously had a bad day or something, so he practically beat the crap out of us. I hadn't experienced so much pain in my entire life. I ached in a way never thought possible. He didn't even know me.  
  
It took us a good fifteen minutes to brush up our battle wounds (and find the Band-Aids), but once we finally did recover, we finished the session.  
  
"Okay, Robert, we've gone through the greeting and the compliment, but now we're on to the most important part of all."  
  
"What's that?" I asked.  
  
"The purr."  
  
"The what?" I thought he was out of his mind.  
  
"All chicks dig the purr. If you don't do the purr, she's just gonna walk away and never talk to you again. You got to make it come from your gut." Gerald situated himself for a moment, and then let out a low "r-r-r-r-r". "Now you try it."  
  
I pondered, closed my eyes, and let out one of the weakest purrs imaginable. "Rrrrr," I squeaked.  
  
"Oh what was that, Robert? You sounded like a alley cat with laryngitis. You have to put your heart and soul into it, my man."  
  
This time around, I really did concentrated, and let out a completely awesome purr: "r-r-r-r-r". Amy would be at my feet with that one.  
  
Gerald was excited with me this time. All right man, now that's what I'm talking about. All the chicks in town will want you with that purr. Very suave." Gerald's mom then came up, and told him that supper was about to be served. "Okay, Robert, I think you got it going on now. Just remember to greet, compliment, and then purr. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so," I replied. "Greet, compliment, and purr."  
  
"Great. I'll see you tomorrow, man, and good luck."  
  
"Thanks a lot, man. See you."  
  
I stepped out into what was now the darkened sky, and began my journey home. It had been quite a day, in between school, play practice, and working with Gerald. I was now ready for some well-deserved sleep.  
  
Deep inside my mind, I was hoping what Gerald told me worked. I already had blown one relationship, and really didn't want to mess up again. I could picture the perfect scenario in my mind. I would see Amy the next day, and would greet her compliment her, and maybe even purr. And maybe by the end of it, her heart would be next to mine. 


	5. From Normal to Abnormal

5  
  
I looked outside. The sun was coming up, and it appeared to be beautiful day in the very making. Everything seemed to be perfect. The leaves were changing into shades of bittersweet orange. Fall was a sight to behold from my bedroom window. For the first time in forever, I actually was excited about getting out into the weather this morning.  
  
I quickly slid on, my usual outfit, except, this time, I slipped on a burgundy coat. Even though it was so beautiful outside, it was getting quite cold, and everyone would start dressing for the season ahead.  
  
Anyway, I did my same morning routine, and went out to the bus. I didn't mid waiting, and I was in fact, hoping it would be late. As of every student does, I wished it just wouldn't materialize at all, but of, course, it arrived, and went back for my morning conversation with Helga.  
  
"Morning, Helga."  
  
"Hey, Robbie. Looking forward to just another exciting day with Simmons?"  
  
"Oh, yeah," I said sarcastically. "I'm just hoping that today will be different. I got some support from Gerald last night, so I think now I can be considered streetwise in the world of women."  
  
"You got dating tips from Gerald! Crimeny, you're already digging yourself a grave. Tall-hair boy's advice usually goes over like a lead balloon. You can try it, but I doubt it will get you anywhere."  
  
"Well, just hear what he taught me, okay?"  
  
"Okay, if you insist."  
  
I cleared my throat, I prepared, and I let it loose. "Hey, baby, what's up," I said with my utmost courage. "Your hair, girl, is like the shimmering Sun." And then came the moment of truth: "r-r-r." It wasn't a good purr; in fact, the only one I ever did well was the last one I did at Gerald's.  
  
"Robbie, first of all, you sounded like a combination of a wanna-be and a dying cat. Second, if any girl's going to be impressed by that, I'll be shocked to the point of insanity."  
  
I didn't seem to care what Helga said. I still had a plan, and I still planned to stick to it. Even if Amy never talked to me again, it really wouldn't be any different than the way it had been. Everything would go completely fine. Except for one thing: this whole thing seemed just too easy, as if the only real thing standing in my way was Amy herself. I went into P.S. 118 that day, expecting a normal, average day, but the moment I walked up to my locker, I began to realize how difficult life really could be, and it didn't seem so easy anymore.  
  
At first glance, my locker seemed completely normal. No real noticeable changes to it whatsoever. Then when I peered closer in, I saw something in the middle slit of the locker. I hesitantly pulled it out, and realized that it was a small piece of paper. Intriguing me, I opened it up and began to read it slowly.  
  
Robert:  
  
It is strange to think how completely bizarre to think some things can turn out. One minute, you realize the Sun has set, but then you discover that is slowly rising once again. Maybe it was time I rose up to the challenge, too. Take this how you will.  
  
Until we meet again,  
  
Twilight Star  
  
At first, I had no idea what this meant, until I sat down and thought about it for a while. Even though my obsession with sunsets was pretty common knowledge, it still seems enigmatic to me that someone would put such emphasis on it in just a small letter. It said to take it as I would, and I take in one simple way: someone else could be in love with me, and I had no idea who.  
  
I didn't get a very good opportunity to talk to Helga until lunch, when I told her all about my mysterious letter. I could tell she was quite surprised, but she really didn't seem to have any idea who this "Twilight Star" character was, or why in the world send me a letter in the way they did. It was typed, so there wouldn't be any real signs of who sent it to me. There were no creases or specific markings in any way, just plain white paper, with plain black letter. I realized this shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did, but it was quite a drain on me.  
  
I sat through the rest of Mr. Simmons lecture on eating healthy for the afternoon, but really couldn't seem to focus on how "special" asparagus was. On top of the bizarre letter, it turned out Amy wasn't even at school today. She was at home, sick, with of all things, laryngitis. It was kind of ironic, really, but still kind of sad.  
  
After, Simmons lecture, the bell rang, but school still was far from over for me. That just meant it was time for play practice. We hadn't really gotten to the point of solid acting or anything, so we just kind of ran things, scene by scene. However, I did actually have a costume. I was a simple, dark blue tunic with white pants under it. I had heard it wasn't going to be my final Shirk Fini costume, just something to practice in. I kept a handkerchief in my right pocket of a costume, just as a prop to use in some seems. I began to search inside my pocket for it, and pulled out something far different than a form of a tissue. To no surprise it was another piece of paper, produced in precisely the same way. This one read:  
  
Mr. Fini:  
  
Hi again. You know, it really hasn't seemed so long since our last meeting, but I didn't want you to feel "shirked". I just thought you would like to know that I really am yours, if you just study your script. Once again, take this as you will.  
  
Someday the time will come,  
  
Twilight Star  
  
Okay, now things were starting to get a little crazy for my tastes. I suppose I wanted some excitement, and I sure got it. Now, not only was I a secret admirer to Amy, but someone secretely admired me, as well. I began to narrow it down in my mind, of who out of everyone in the school could be it. What did make me sad was the lack of possibility that it was Amy. She wasn't even at school, and I really didn't think she could trust anyone with doing this for her just yet. Some of the clues she left in these notes made some sort of since, with the mention of the sunset and my character in the play. Sadly, it really didn't narrow down my list whatsoever. The only solution to my problem here would have to be time.  
  
Even though all this, I guess I was upset that most of my conversation with Gerald had been wasted to this point. I'm sure that I could use it soon, but the impatience probably would get to me.  
  
I didn't even get to do the purr. 


	6. Uncertainty

6  
  
Days came. Days left. Time seemed to pass so quickly all of a sudden. Maybe it was the fact that I was so busy or something, but I was simply perplexed.  
  
Nothing had seemed to change in either of my relationships. I still got by with the occasional "hello" to Amy, and the letters from this Twilight Star character just seemed to get more and more bizarre as time progressed. Unfortunately, the fact that she didn't leave me any real clues didn't help. She hinted at several things about my own life, but they were all things that anybody could know.  
  
However, I did manage to discover one small clue to this person's identity. A couple of days ago, I was walking to my locker, when I heard Lila talking with Arnold.  
  
"It just seems strange that she, of all people, would send letters to a secret admirer. She just doesn't seem to be that kind of person."  
  
"Oh, Arnold. I think it is just ever so sweet. It does sound kind of strange, but you are oh so positive in the fact that you saw her do it, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I saw her putting a note in his locker just yesterday. She was real secretive about it, like it was the most important thing she had ever done. Either she was begging for food, or it was a secret admirer note."  
  
"Okay, Arnold. I believe you."  
  
This enabled me to narrow down my list a little bit. Unless some extremely dirty trick was being played on me, or Lila wasn't sending me the letters. That pleased me, for the most part, since Lila often got on my nerves with her "ever-so sweet" personality. The only thing more irritating than that was how many times Mr. Simmons used the word "special" during a school day.  
  
Several weeks had passed. It was now entering October, one of my favorite months, since I enjoyed all the Halloween festivities. Every year, at the end of the month, Sid throws a Halloween Party, where we just run around in costumes and hang out. We didn't last year, due to some crazy alien scheme, but we planned to this year.  
  
The play also was moving along beautifully. It took me a good couple of weeks to memorize all of my lines, but once I got them down, there was no stopping me. Turns out it was cool being the mysterious hero, even though I didn't really get the part I wanted (on the other hand, if I was Carrot, I would be forced to kiss Helga, something I would never really want to do).  
  
It now, was a bright Tuesday afternoon, three days before we opened on Friday. I needed a little bit of a break, and since Mr. Simmons gave us the afternoon off from practice, I got to go to Slausen's, the coolest ice cream place on the planet, with Sid. I know, usually I'm talking about doing this sort of thing with Helga, but today I went with Sid. After all, I did have other friends, and Sid's parents seemed to be the only adults my parents were in contact with, outside of their work, of course.  
  
So we collected our ice cream (I got peanut butter, my favorite), and sat down at a table to begin brainstorming with some possibilities on this whole "relationship" business, something I was quite unfamiliar with.  
  
"Boy, howdy, this is good ice cream. Nothing better than mint chocolate chip, I always say."  
  
"Um.you never say that, Sid."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but it is the best flavor out there. Much better than your peanut butter." It was then that heard a door close behind me, something that seemed useless at the time.  
  
I slowly began to tell Sid my whole story of how I had fallen in love with Amy, and about this secret admirer that had seemed to be stalking me for the past couple of weeks.  
  
"Wow, a secret admirer. Robert, you are a lucky guy. I wish had some girl following me around."  
  
"Good, you can have mine," I muttered. After chuckling to myself for a second, I asked him what he thought I should do.  
  
"Sounds like a problem. Have you talked Gerald yet? He's always good at teaching kids about the ladies."  
  
"Yeah, I already talked to Gerald."  
  
"So, did he teach you the purr?"  
  
"YES, he taught me the purr!" I practically yelled. Maybe it was just me, but the whole concept of the purr seemed completely idiotic.  
  
"All right, I know I'm not the best at giving advice, Robert, but here's what I would do. The play is almost over, and the cast party afterwards would be the perfect place to try to ask her out or something." I had forgotten completely about that. The day after our performance, we were scheduled to have a huge party at Lorenzo's house. Lorenzo was one of the richest kids in all of Hillwood City, so his mansion was the perfect place for a party.  
  
Anyway, he continued. "Maybe if you're lucky, you can come with her to my Halloween party in a couple of weeks."  
  
"Yeah, I hope so."  
  
"And about this secret admirer thing, just let it play out. They may give up eventually, or maybe it can be a backup plan. Who knows, maybe it is Amy."  
  
"I doubt it. She wasn't even at school when I got my first note," I replied.  
  
"Well, don't rule anything out. At this point, you can't eliminate nearly anything." He took a second and looked down at his watch, to realize that it had become late. "Boy, howdy, look at the time. I gotta head home."  
  
"Okay, Sid. I'll see you later." With that, I went home and performed by usual routine, including my viewing of the sunset. Although I had so much on my mind, I was able to sleep fairly well.  
  
I was in school the next morning. I walked up to my locker as I usually did, now practically expecting there to be a note hidden somewhere in my locker. Sure enough, I was right. I found a small piece of paper tucked in the corner, the same style, the exact same form. After putting away my jacket, I unfolded it and slowly began to read:  
  
Hey Rob:  
  
Hello again, it seems like forever since we last talked. I really wish we could get to know each other better. By the way, it's nice to know you like peanut butter ice cream. You never know when things like this will come in handy. Once again, take this as you will.  
  
See you on stage soon,  
  
Twilight Star  
  
Now I was so upset with myself it was nearly unbearable. I couldn't believe it. The secret admirer was in the ice cream store with us, and when we left, it was empty. She must have been the one who left as we sat down, so she didn't hear our conversation about Amy. I was pretty sure my secret admirer wasn't Sid, so I still had no clue.  
  
Of course, with my luck, this was the ideal time for Amy to show up.  
  
"Hi, Robert, how are you?"  
  
"Um, fine," I quickly answered, while hiding the note.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Oh, that. It was nothing. Just some trash I found in my locker this morning."  
  
"Oh, ok," she replied, in a voice that showed she really didn't believe you. "Well, I can't wait until you guys perform. I'll be cheering for you backstage."  
  
"Thanks. Oh, the bell's about to ring. Better go to class."  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you Robert."  
  
I then headed off to Mr. Simmons class, the world full of math, English, and just about anything else labeled "special". "This is a strange feeling," I thought to myself as I walked into the classroom. My heart filled with adoration, but my mind filled with uncertainty. 


	7. The Lovliness of Love

7  
  
Note: Um, hi everyone. Just a reminder to all who read this: REVIEW ME PLEASE!!! Reviews have kind of dropped off lately, and I was checking to see if anyone actually reads this. Thanks!  
  
It was Friday night. I was sweating like a hog.  
  
I now was backstage, getting ready to begin our grand performance of Perils of the Planet. I was fully decked out in my blue tunic, sword and everything, fully prepared to show the audience just what Shirk Fini was made of.  
  
More people came to this performance than even Romeo and Juliet. The house was literally packed. Practically everyone in all of Hillwood was in the auditorium, waiting for our grand show to begin. My parents even came, which was the biggest surprise of all.  
  
I saw Amy pull open the curtain, and Arnold walk out onto the stage. The show had finally begun. Arnold progressed through his opening monologue, and the show progressed, as well.  
  
After about twenty minutes I entered the stage, as well. This was my first major performance, so I knew I would be afraid. Thankfully, it didn't go nearly as bad as I thought, as I went through my lines, discovering the murders of everyone in my home. I didn't even forget any lines.  
  
Before I knew it, Arnold (of course) kissed Helga onstage, and the curtain closed. I saw Amy flash me a quick thumbs-up as I walked offstage, so I stayed happy.  
  
"Great job, son," my father told me after the show. He still was in his lab coat and everything (he looked like part of some play himself), but it pleased me to know that my parents did care enough for me to appear at my performance. This was wonderful and all, but the real excitement would come the night later. Despite this, as I was putting away my costume, I found another ominous note from this "Twilight Star" character. I opened it up and began to read it:  
  
Hey Robert,  
  
Great job tonight. I always knew that you would be as good of an actor as you were a sonnet writer. Just keep up the good work, it won't be long. As always, take this as you will.  
  
Twilight Star  
  
Well, unless Amy somehow had snuck into Open House last year to hear me read my love sonnet, I was positive that she wasn't who I was looking for. This struck me as a bit of clue that this mystery girl might actually be Rhonda, with the mention of both the sunset and the sonnet, two things that came very much into play last spring. However, this wouldn't seem like Rhonda. She never would hang over some guy like that.  
  
I spent the rest of the next day practically sleeping. The cast party was that evening, and you always want to be wide-awake for those kinds of events.  
  
The evening did come, and I put on some casual dress and headed out the door. The whole night came to me as somewhat of a surprise. Sometimes you have to wait to the near edge of insanity for an opportunity, but sometimes your chance will just come to you. That's what happened that night.  
  
I showed up at the party shortly after, and ran into Helga immediately.  
  
"Hey, Robbie, how's it going?"  
  
"Oh, I'm doing all right. Finally getting some relaxation after the big day yesterday."  
  
"You're lucky. Big Bob woke me up at seven this morning. Said we had to spend some more time together. Miriam's idea. All we do is just go on his inane little errands."  
  
"I can see where you would be upset," I told her, and then saw Amy sitting in the corner of the room. "Hmm, Amy seems to be kind of lonely tonight."  
  
"Don't get any ideas, Robbie. You don't want to do anything stupid."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but you really never know how things are going to happen until you try." Even though Helga didn't necessarily agree with me, this was a great opportunity, and I wanted to take advantage of it. So I went over there and said, "Hey, Amy, how are you?"  
  
"Hi, Robert. I'm doing pretty well tonight, and yourself?"  
  
"I'm doing good, just kind of hanging out."  
  
"That's cool. Hey, look at this." She pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket. At first I thought it could have been a Twilight Star note, but it was just an ordinary letter. "This was from one of my friends back in Auckland."  
  
"Do you ever miss it there? It must have been awesome to be able to live in a place like that."  
  
"It was really nice there, but I'm starting to like Hillwood pretty well. I still miss it a little bit, though. I know my dad misses it even more."  
  
"Do you just live with your dad?"  
  
"Yeah, my mom still lives in New Zealand. My parents divorced about three years ago. Neither one of them has married again, so I'm hoping they might get back together someday."  
  
"At least you see your parents on a regular basis," I replied, and then paused for a minute. "Do you want to get some punch?"  
  
"Sure," she said as she got up, but then accidentally tripped over her chair. "Sorry, I can be a little clumsy sometimes."  
  
"That's okay," I told her. "Nobody's perfect."  
  
I hung out with Amy that whole night. It turned out she was not only beautiful, but a really nice person to talk to. We didn't really play too many of the games that were going on that evening, just kind of relaxed and enjoyed each other's company. I got to find out all about New Zealand, which I discovered might be one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. She had pictures she would show me at school. She also said that most people had an accent of some sort, but she didn't really. I guess not all people talk like where they're from.  
  
The hours quickly ticked by, and before I knew it, ten o'clock had arrived. That signaled the end of the party. Mr. Simmons called us up, and once again congratulated us on a job well done during the play. I said goodbye to Amy as I walked out into the cold weather.  
  
"Hey, before you go, Amy, can I tell you something?"  
  
"Sure, Robert."  
  
I pretty much figured at this point I had nothing to lose, so I went ahead and gave this a shot. "You have the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen. They're like two emeralds, the heart of any treasure." Then the time came to let it loose. "R-r-r-r-r." Hey, that actually was a pretty good purr.  
  
Amy laughed. I guess the whole principle of the thing was silly to begin with. "You're a pretty funny guy, Robert. I hope we can become pretty good friends."  
  
"Me, too." Just about then I saw Sid's car (my carpool) arrive at Lorenzo's house. "Oh, there's my ride. I'll see you later."  
  
"Bye," was all she said as I entered the car to head home.  
  
The party was quite an interesting turn of events. It looks like I finally would have a chance to get what I wanted: a possibility of having a really great girl. Even though this happened to be a bizarre occurrence, something even weirder happened that day. In a time where I had been getting two or three secret admirer notes a day, I didn't get a single letter that entire day. 


	8. Every Moment

8  
  
Before I knew it, the Halloween Party was coming up, and my time was running out. Like Sid had told me, it would be extremely awesome to go the party with Amy, and kind of introduce ourselves as a couple. All I had to do was make sure everything went exactly as I wanted it to. Sadly, that never happens.  
  
First things first, I had to find a way to solve this "Twilight Star" mystery. Since the cast party, I had received a few more letters, although none of them brought any mention of that night, or even gave me any sense of what was going on. The only clue I had was the constant mention of certain events, like the sunset, the play, and my sonnet contest from last year. Once I had this puzzle figured out, I was pretty sure I'd be home free.  
  
The time had nearly arrived. It now was Friday, October the 30th, the day of the gigantic Halloween bash at Sid's house (we still wanted to go trick-or-treating). As usual on a weekday morning, I headed out on the bus, for the morning conversation with Helga, unaware of the huge clue that was going to be headed for me once we arrived at school.  
  
"Hey, Robbie. Take a load off."  
  
"I'll try, Helga. I'll try. Today's quite a busy day, you know."  
  
"Yeah, I know. You gotta stop the psycho that's sending you letters, and then solve your big, corny, la-dee-da crush with that Amy girl. You sure got a schedule there."  
  
Phoebe was in an exceptionally talkative mood that morning, and she even added a comment or two.  
  
"You know, Robert, whoever may be sending these letters must have a really secretive nature to them. You know, someone who deeply adores you, but does not want anyone else to have the knowledge of it."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." Okay, I was a little bit confused. Sometimes Phoebe didn't make a whole lot of sense.  
  
Yet as I walked outside of the bus, I saw a note lying on the ground. Just out of curiosity, I picked it up, and it was another note. The bus never parks the same way twice, so it had to have been someone on my bus who dropped it. This eliminated Sheena and "Big" Patty from my list, since they didn't even ride this bus. This note arrived stranger than the rest, so either someone had very good planning, or they dropped it accidentally. Either way, I picked it up and began to read it. This note said:  
  
Hey there (you should know who you are by now):  
  
I don't believe it will be much longer. It appears that my may be running short, so expect my appearance soon. Then, finally, we will be able to become one. For the last time, take this as you will.  
  
See you tonight,  
  
Twilight Star  
  
It hit me. By the end of the evening, I would finally discover the identity of this "mystery woman" that's appeared to be stalking me for the past month or so. At that time, the anticipation was nearly killing me. I almost didn't care who it was (although I did have preferences), I just wanted to know.  
  
However, before this evening even occurred, I had critical business to deal with. Business that I've wanted to finish, business that meant the world to me, and business that I'd been putting off all week. Most importantly, though, it was business involving Amy and myself.  
  
Lunchtime slowly crept up on me. Mr. Simmons drug on all morning, but the time had finally arrived.  
  
I'd been planning this for days now. I had set everything up in where everything would be flawless. First, I asked Amy to eat lunch with me. Next, she accepted and we agreed on this date. Next, I made sure no one else would be eating with me. Finally, I made sure I had enough courage to actually pull this off. So at approximately eleven thirty-three on that day, Operation: Amy went into one of its final stages.  
  
I was already setting down by the time Amy arrived. I had taken my lunch from home, and Amy had to wait to buy hers. Okay, maybe I'm getting a little obsessive here, so I'll go ahead and continue.  
  
So Amy sat down, and the conversation began.  
  
"Hey Amy, how's it going?"  
  
"Oh, I'm doing fairly well, Robert. I hope you are, too."  
  
"I'm doing all right."  
  
So then was one of those small pauses you always see in those cheesy teenage movies that you never thought actually happened in real life. After that, I realized they did.  
  
Amy finally continued the conversation. "Well, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about so badly."  
  
I paused, took a couple of deep breaths, and began. "Well, over the past couple of months we've been in school, I've come to discover that you're a pretty cool person."  
  
"Well, I think you're a cool person, too, Robert," she said kind of awkwardly.  
  
I continued. "After thinking about it for a while, and having the conversation we had last Saturday at the cast party, I really began to discover how awesome you truly are. And well, from the moment I first saw you walk in the doors of our classroom, I knew you were the most beautiful person I have ever seen."  
  
"Well, thanks," she replied, kind of trailing off at the end.  
  
I really had to get some courage now, for I was about to say one of the braver things of my life. "So after all that's happened to me in the past couple of months, I've realized I've fallen in love with you."  
  
She must have not have been expecting something of this magnitude, for when she stood up, she looked somewhat shocked. "You're.in love with me?"  
  
"Wait, I'm not through. I had one more thing to ask you?"  
  
"What?" Amy asked, kind of still recovering.  
  
"I wanted to know if you would go with me tonight to Sid's Halloween Party. I can meet you there or something."  
  
"I don't know, Robert. This is all awfully sudden. I'm flattered and everything, but I'm not sure of what to make of the whole thing. I'll have to think about it. I'll see you there, though." With that she walked away, leaving my heart in a somewhat broken manner, although not exactly shattered.  
  
It was around six o'clock, one hour away from Sid's party now. It became Central Time a couple of days ago, so I was out a little earlier now to watch the sunset. As of now, it seemed to be the only thing that was certain in my life. The Sun would always rise, and the Sun would always fall. If only the rest of my life went so easily.  
  
Just about then, I saw a face walk by that I hadn't spoken to in a good while.  
  
"Hi, Robert," she said as she walked by.  
  
"Hi Rhonda," I replied. I don't know why I hadn't talked with her lately; I guess I was just busy.  
  
"Are you doing alright? It's been forever since we talked last," she said quickly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I'm feeling pretty good," I replied.  
  
She then paused for a moment, and then spoke again. "So, are you going to Sid's party tonight?"  
  
"I'm thinking about it."  
  
"Okay," she said. "Well, I hope to see you there."  
  
That reminded me that it's probably about time for me to start getting ready for the party myself. Sid would be picking me up soon, and I had to make sure I was ready to have one of the most surprising evenings of my life. 


	9. As You Will

9  
  
It was seven o'clock and pitch dark when it happened. I saw a small red sedan pull up in my driveway, and I climbed in. It was Sid, of course, ready to pick me up for the dance. I really wasn't wearing anything special, since it wasn't supposed to be a costume party or anything. Considering the situation that night, it would have been best to go as myself, anyway.  
  
I was faced with two major problems going into that evening: first of all, I had no real idea what Amy's response to my confession would be, and second, I would finally know the identity of Twilight Star. The mysterious letters with annoying messages would finally end as of that night.  
  
When I got in Sid's car, the adventure began.  
  
"So, you ready to have a good time, Robert?" Sid asked me as his parents began to drive towards his house.  
  
"I'm hoping to," I told him. "I guess you could say I am a little bit nervous."  
  
"Oh, so I suppose you finally told Amy how you feel?"  
  
"Yeah, I did. Sadly, I have no real idea what she thinks of me."  
  
"I could see how you could be upset. I mean, I would be going crazy with a mystery woman following you around, along with you trying to get a girl you like to like you back," Sid said as we pulled into his driveway, which had the typical party decorations. I walked inside the house, and the party began.  
  
Just about everyone in my whole class was there, including several others. Even Joey, a guy who moved away last summer, made an appearance. The party really excited everyone, and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves quite nicely. However, I saw no sign of Amy, much to my disappointment.  
  
However, I did run into Helga, so I stopped and began to talk to her.  
  
:"Hi, Helga. You having a good time tonight?"  
  
"I guess so," she told me, and then gave me some real news. "I'm guessing you're probably wondering where your lover girl Amy is."  
  
"Yeah, just a little bit."  
  
"Well, if it helps you out any, I overheard her talking to Lila earlier. She said that she would most likely come, but would be an hour or two late. I didn't hear her mention you, though."  
  
"Darn," I said. "It's good to know that she's at least coming, and not skipping town or anything."  
  
"Hey, Robbie, I've also heard that there would be a slow dance at the very end of the party, so in the event that Amy does show up, you can ask her to dance."  
  
"That'd be pretty cool, if she would dance with me, that is."  
  
"I'm sure she will. Now if I can just get Arnold to dance with me."  
  
"Hey, maybe you will. You guys haven't been nearly as mean to each other lately as you were last year. I don't know what happened between you guys, but it seemed to help."  
  
All she would say is a trailed-off "yeah".  
  
The party continued through the night, and it was now nine o'clock. The party ended at nine-thirty, so I was really hoping that Amy would show up soon. So far I hadn't heard from her or the Twilight Star person. Hey, maybe that meant it COULD be her.  
  
Thankfully, at least the antics of my psycho classmates had been pleasing for most of the evening. One of the greatest things was when Harold ate everything on the buffet table, including the tablecloth. He was in the restroom for the rest of the evening.  
  
Another quite humorous happening was when Stinky came dressed as a vampire and Sid starting freaking out. I don't know what his problem was; maybe he just didn't like vampires. After all, it wasn't supposed to be a costume party in the first place. Stinky can be kind of weird sometimes.  
  
Other than these things, nothing much seemed to occur for the majority of the evening, until about ten minutes from the end of the dance. The slow song was about to play, and there still showed no sign of Amy coming at all. Sid's stereo began playing a song called "Cannot Wait", which was not only one of my favorites, but also the slow dance of the evening.  
  
I had nearly given up all hope of anything going right, but just then Amy came through the front doors onto the dance floor. She didn't really appear to be any different than usual, but somehow seemed even more beautiful than I had ever previously thought. She was even wearing the same outfit she wore to school, and yet seemed like a princess all of a sudden.  
  
"Hi," I told her as she walked towards me.  
  
"Hi, Robert."  
  
"So you finally did come. You had me worried for a while that you weren't going to show up."  
  
"Well, I made it," she told me, but continued. "However, I do have some bad news."  
  
"Oh, you don't like me, huh?"  
  
"No, no, it's not that. It's just that my dad has decided to move back to Auckland. He's been planning this all week, but just told me this afternoon."  
  
All I could seem to muster was an "Oh".  
  
"It's kind of sad, I know. I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and I'm probably never coming back. I'm sorry things worked out this way, Robert."  
  
"Yeah. Me, too."  
  
"But you were a really good friend to me in the short time I was here, and I'll never forget everything you did for me. You were an awesome guy, and I'll miss you a lot." Just then she looked at the clock. "Oh, it's time for me to go. I just stopped long enough to say goodbye." Just about then she slowly approached me and slowly kissed me. It only lasted a second, but I wish it were eternity.  
  
"Goodbye, Robert," she said as she walked out the door, and a tear began falling down my cheek.  
  
"Goodbye, Amy," I managed to say as she walked away from me, and walked out the door, never to be seen by me again.  
  
That was hard. If I thought I had ever felt emotion before that moment, I was wrong. But the night wasn't over. Just about then another person walked over to me.  
  
"Hi, Robert," she said as she approached me.  
  
"Hi," I replied, in somewhat of a mumble.  
  
"You know, it's really sad that she just walked out like that, you must feel terrible."  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Well, you know, I'm not sure if this will cheer you up, but since we're on the topic and everything, here." Just then Rhonda Wellington Lloyd bent over and slowly kissed me, as well.  
  
We kissed briefly, and Rhonda got up. Right before she walked away herself, she whispered one thing in my ear.  
  
"Take this as you will."  
  
  
  
Note: The story isn't over yet. Check soon for the epilogue. 


	10. EpilogueThe World Is Hurting My Soul

Epilogue  
  
Wow. That was a little bizarre, huh? It's strange to think that at one moment, you think someone has forgotten totally about you, and the next thing you know, they are in love with you. I accepted the chance that Rhonda would be my secret admirer, but I never actually thought she was. It was quite a shock to me.  
  
After what happened that evening, I went to Helga for some advice. I knew she wasn't the greatest advice giver in the world, but she might be able to help me in this situation. What she told me surprised me, as well. It turns out that over the course of the past couple of months, she had confessed her love to Arnold on the top of some building. Helga never actually seemed brave enough to do it, but she actually did it.  
  
This made me curious of what Arnold would have to say about it, so I went and talked to him. He told me that he really hadn't decided just what he was going to do involving Helga, he was just going to take some time to think it over. Even though we were in the fifth grade now, we were only a step down the great road of life. There would be plenty of chances for me to date Rhonda. The time just wasn't now.  
  
Maybe, someday, I'll be with Rhonda. Or maybe, someday, Amy will move back. It's really hard to say what will happen.  
  
It was a beautiful evening, several days after the Halloween party. I stood outside in the chilled weather, watching the crimson Sun sink slowly behind the horizon. I knew I now had a great opportunitry, and a wonderful life ahead of me. The light had finally shone upon me. I finally knew I was loved. And as that Sun disappeared into the newfound darkness, I thought of one thing.  
  
Once you see the light, you are never in the dark.  
  
  
  
I stepped into this twilight hour  
  
Thinking I'd lost my mind  
  
Sitting on the moonlit hills  
  
Hoping to unwind  
  
Being in that endless night  
  
The hole inside me grew  
  
For staying in the darkness then  
  
Kept me from finding you  
  
  
  
The glossy sky engulfing me  
  
Blinding me of sight  
  
It seems my world is crumbling  
  
In this listless night  
  
Because of all the hopes and dreams  
  
I thought that I could be  
  
But the world is hurting the soul  
  
In me  
  
  
  
The night is getting colder now  
  
Under the frigid air  
  
And brightness seems impossible  
  
Right here, or anywhere  
  
For I want to know you deeper now  
  
I did right from the start  
  
But that light I saw abandoned me  
  
And left me in the dark  
  
  
  
So I sit there and ponder now  
  
Of what is on my mind  
  
And maybe there is someway I  
  
Can get out of this bind  
  
Because of all the hopes and dreams  
  
I thought that I could be  
  
But this world is hurting my soul  
  
You see  
  
  
  
But when I think about you now  
  
The darkness soon does part  
  
And I feel like there is someway I  
  
Can get back to your heart  
  
For when I was sitting there  
  
On the hill, in solitude  
  
I felt I was a hopeless mess  
  
But now I am renewed  
  
  
  
The Sun is shining brilliantly  
  
On a hope that I found true  
  
And everything seems perfect now  
  
Now that I know you  
  
But for all the hopes and dreams  
  
I thought that wouldn't be  
  
But that world was hurting my soul  
  
Love sees  
  
The End  
  
Note: I hope you enjoyed my story as much as I did writing it. I will have an author's note soon. 


	11. A Message From Chief

A Message From Chief  
  
Man. It's amazing to see how fast the stories go once you've gotten into them. Yet now, "Robert Revisited" is through, and it's time to move on.  
  
First of all, I guess I should just send out my all of my thanks to everyone associated with me the past couple of months. I really would like to thank everyone who has been reviewing me (especially the ones who were with me from my beginnings at Fanfiction.net). Without you guys, I would have no motivation for writing. My fans are what keep me going, and I thank all of them for that. In fact, I almost have broken my personal best when it comes to reviews; I only need one more to do so. Once again, a huge "thank you" to all of my fans. I really do love you guys.  
  
Next, I would like to thank all of my influences for my fanfics. Trying to convert stories from real life to the Hey Arnold! world was not all that easy of a task. If it wasn't for several people, I wouldn't be where I am in the first place. My appreciation goes out to my friends, my family, and, of course, my own personal Rhondas and Amys. You have left a great message on me, and on my heart.  
  
Now, a little bit about the story. I have used a couple of references and ideas in both this story and the original "Robert", so I thought I should explain myself.  
  
One of the things I have done with both of them is end with a song of some sort. In case you haven't guessed, I love songwriting, and have written about thirty songs (I just picked out some ones that I liked to end my stories). I actually have recorded two CDs with just my voice, but they're kinda weak recordings.  
  
Several people I have talked to have also asked me why I am so insistent on Robert's obsession with the sunset. Although this is something I really don't actually do, it made a nice addition to his character. I wanted to picture Robert as kind of a dreamer that although he was rarely noticed, had a good heart. The sunset kind of showed his imagination and his love for nature. It also was used for symbolism. One of my last lines in "My Name Is Robert" said "The Sun had finally set upon me, but like that gorgeous sunset that I had watched ever since I was little; I knew that the Sun would always rise again, never changing, day after day." I honestly believe that everyday that you live can be a clean slate, a fresh chance. I hold that very dearly.  
  
Now, I will get to the question that people have asked me the most: "What the heck is Korrotia: The Discovery and Perils of the Planet?" In each of my "Robert" stories I have referred to these in one way or another. No, they are not anything that has been released before. Technically, my novel and lifelong dream is Korrotia: The Discovery. The characters I mentioned in Perils of the Planet are actually the main character of Korrotia (I did change the plot a little bit, to get a little of a laugh of Helga and Arnold having to kiss again). It's a pretty cool story, and I hope to be working on it more in the future. I do have a newsletter for all of my fans of Korrotia, called "The Fini Fan Force." If anyone is interested in joining, send me an email at carrotshirk@hotmail.com; please don't post it in the reviews (unless you are reviewing my story, as well). I have some information on the story there, and may even post some sample chapters.  
  
The final thing I have to decide for myself now is what's next for me. I'm thinking of a couple of possibilities for new stories, but haven't decided for sure on what I'm going to do. At first I wasn't even going to consider any more "Robert" stories, but I am thinking more on it now. I've been practically on cloud 9 ever since my chat with Craig Bartlett, where he said "Robert was cool". I also have been getting a lot more reviews lately, which is influencing me a little bit, as well. My other main idea is a story called "Missing Simmons", where Mr. Simmons is kidnapped, and Arnold and his gang have to search P.S. 118 for clues and the criminal. One thing that will make it interesting is that it will have a new point of view for every chapter. Whatever I write next, I promise it will be good.  
  
I guess I have little to say now, except that I love writing, and appreciate every opportunity I have received. I thank all of my fans again, for all their encouragement. After all, one smile can change the world. 


End file.
